19 Things To Do In Las Vegas This Weekend
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You can win big in savings if you pack with these secret insider tips for Las Vegas things to do today!
19 Ways To Vegas Like a High Roller Using A 50-Cent Slot Machine Budget!
In this post, you’ll get Vegas insider travel and money-saving tips.
I’ve been traveling on a regular for the last 15 years or so.
I’ve lost count of how many plane rides I’ve taken and how many sunny destinations I’ve ventured off to.
Of all my excursions, my favorite is still fabulous Las Vegas!
I’ve become a Las Vegas insider and travel pro, as well as a licensed real estate pro in the city.
(Checkout this feature article HERE: Viva Las Vegas With Shaunda Necole.)
Now I’m sharing my secret insider tips on how to Las Vegas vacay like a high-roller.
I’m sharing this insider info because sharing with others is one of the best practices in becoming better at what we do!
Pin the below image so you can easily get back to this post anytime!
Las Vegas things to do this weekend
This is how you Vegas!
Whether you’re a Vegas first-timer or you’ve visited before, you can win big in savings if you pack with my secret insider tips for Las Vegas things to do!
Use these discount travel sites hidden in plain sight
1. Although most hotels and airlines tout “save more by booking direct,” it’s better to book your trip on discount sites like:
Travelocity (for flights and hotels)
These sites allow you to compare airline prices and flight schedules to maximize your dollar.
If you’re able to work with a few flexible days, you can save money by arriving or departing on a different date. I’ve often found it less expensive in flight AND hotel to stay a day longer because the flight alone was so much more to depart on an earlier date!
Also, discount sites will show you when it’s better to choose a different airline for a returning flight when the price is lower. These sites also bundle travel deals of flight and hotel for discount on specific dates.
I just checked this site HERE and Las Vegas for two with hotel AND flight was as low as $277 per person for 5 days/4 nights!
2. Consider traveling to Vegas at non-peak times and outside of big events like March Madness or the Super Bowl.
Avoid major holidays like Labor Day weekend and New Year’s Eve. You can save HUNDREDS of dollars, literally by arriving on January 1st instead of December 31st!
Not to sound “bougie” or entitled, but the truth is that I only choose 4 and 5-star hotels, and it’s easy to do so when your following these tips!
I’ve booked 5-star hotels like Mandalay Bay at a base price (before taxes and Vegas resort fees) of $54 a night.
And 4-star hotels like Caesar’s Palace for $76 a night!
Also, Christmas in Vegas is typically a very affordable time to stay. Not New Year’s Eve!
Again, prices sky rocket for New Year’s Eve!
Quick tip: You can filter your hotel search by the number of hotel stars and by including the word ‘strip’ in your search (Las Vegas Strip). Note: ‘Las Vegas’ without the word ‘strip’ will include hotels both on and off the strip.
Turn your credit card purchases into travel dollars and vacay for FREE!
3. Choose a travel rewards card to earn either frequent flyer miles or cash back that you can turn around and use towards traveling!
One year I used my Navy Federal Credit Union Flagship Rewards Card for EVERY purchase that I would have normally made with my checking account. Then, I’d pay the card off with my checking account when the statement arrived each month.
I earned 3 times the points on travel and 2 times the points on everything else!
After about nine months, I’d racked up enough points where The Mister and I returned to Vegas and our flight and hotel were totally FREE!
We’ve also used this same technique with The Mister’s American Express Card, earning enough points for an all-inclusive FREE trip we took to Puerto Rico! You can search and compare credit cards with rewards. Or keep it in the house (no pun intended) and apply for MGM Resort’s M Life Rewards Mastercard HERE.
No need to get a car note
4. When you make it to Vegas, walk the strip, it’s FREE! You can see more outside of a car, anyway.
You’re probably not planning to leave the strip, because everything you could possibly want and more is on the strip!
Save your money. You won’t need to rent a car.
5. Each Vegas hotel is an attraction in itself with FREE entry (which is also why you won’t need a car)!
Take a few days to save money on entertainment and explore some of the amazing hotels.
You can never see them all in one trip!
6. Choose a hotel with free shuttle transports to and from the airport.
Mirage, Flamingo, Cosmopolitan, Aria, Delano and The Palazzo are a few of the hotels on the Vegas strip with free hotel to airport shuttle transportation.
7. You will also find FREE monorail trams between some of the hotels on the strip.
There’s a tram between Park MGM and Bellagio, with stops at The Shops at Crystals and Aria and Vdara hotels in City Center.
Another tram between Mirage and Treasure Island, and one that runs between Mandalay Bay and Excalibur.
These trams in intermittent points make getting up and down the strip a breeze!
If you desire to go from MGM Grand, which is towards the south end of the strip, and go all the way up to the north end and beyond to the hotel, SLS Las Vegas…There’s a tram for that!
8. You can also Uber or Lyft to and from the airport to your hotel.
Check your hotel for discount codes for these services.
We once took an Uber for $2 to the airport because we used The Mister’s phone to sign up in the app as a first-time user, in which he received a ride credit. Then we used the hotel discount code found on the back of our room key!
New to Uber? Use my discount code: ShaundaB2
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Take advantage of 5-star dining at 2 and a half-star pricing
9. When you’re ready to eat, Las Vegas has endless 5-star dining options to choose from!
Eat a big breakfast, and a big dinner and consider skipping lunch (or breakfast).
There are magnificent buffets in almost every hotel!
One of our all-time favorite breakfast locations is still Denny’s on the strip! You can breakfast for two under $20!
10. If you can help it, and you probably can, don’t pay full price for Las Vegas dining.
Head to Tix4Vegas online or find one of their many locations on the strip to purchase discounted and BOGO dining or shows.
Buy exclusive show tickets at open-to-the-public prices
11. Speaking of Vegas shows, I always recommend any one of the exclusive-to-the-strip Cirque du Soleil shows as a first-time experience (unless Bruno Mars is in town!).
Once again, Tix4Vegas will be your resource for discounted shows.
12. You can also get the Go Vegas Explorer Card for discounts on popular attractions both on and off the strip.
You create your own itinerary by choosing 3, 5 or 7 attractions to visit for 1 discounted price! The list of choices is vast, from a Hoover Dam tour, night club tours, comedy shows and so much more!
Get a Vegas hall pass (hint: it’s not what you’re thinking!)
13. If you’re about the club scene and the night life (because it’s Vegas, right?!) consider the V Card, the ultimate Vegas nightclub pass.
The V Card also works for Vegas pool bars and day clubs. (What? You didn’t know that the party doesn’t stop at the nightclub?!)
Because the Vegas strip doesn’t sleep, it can get really expensive real fast to party like a rock star!
A nightclub pass is ideal if, “Party All The Time” is your Las Vegas jam!
Skip the lines and dance the night away at the hottest nightclubs in town. Kick back in a lounge, make a splash at a pool party, or be entertained at a gentlemen’s club.
The V Card comes packed with VIP benefits and VIP access to top exclusive venues, without the additional cover charges!
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14. Alternatively, you can look for Vegas promoters on social media to get discounted or FREE nightclub entry!
Trust me, a promoter’s job is to pack the house, and they are online and ready to respond!
If the club is in your hotel (and almost every hotel in Vegas has a nightclub inside) check your hotel welcome pack for FREE or discounted club entry on certain nights.
Also, for long lines at the club, your group will have a better chance of entry with a higher girl to guy ratio.
Bottle service at the drug store instead of at the bar
15. Since we’re talking nights out on the strip, consider bottle service in the drug store instead of at the night club!
Purchase your alcohol by the bottle at a drug store on the strip, instead of drink by drink at the bar. (Yes, the drug stores like Walgreen’s on the strip have a full alcohol stock!).
You can get a bottle for nearly the cost of a drink at the bar or club.
16. Cocktail less in the club and more on the casino floor! I remember being amazed on my first trip to Las Vegas when I found out that you get FREE drinks while in the casino gambling!
Maybe consider not drinking at all to save really big? Otherwise, play a few nickel slots and the waitresses will keep the drinks coming (remember to tip generously)!
17. If you’re going to gamble more than just the nickel slots, sign up for a casino rewards card.
Some of the popular Casin rewards cards are M-Life Rewards and Caesar’s Rewards.
Any way you can be rewarded for spending what you were already going to anyway…why not?!
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Know when wasting time costs more than saving money
18. Get up and get out early!
If you’re traveling from the east coast to Las Vegas, you gain 2-3 hours on arrival! Maximize your stay by starting your day early and getting up and out to see more!
19. If you’ve been using the insider tips above and you’ve saved enough money to indulge in extra amenities during your stay, consider one of Las Vegas’ secret hotels, inside a hotel.
This can make your trip inclusive of special conveniences like VIP check in and valet parking or privacy features like private lounges and pools. Features and amenities that may not be standard to the visible hotels on the strip.
Learn more about Las Vegas secret hotels HERE.
After so many years of saving money in Las Vegas, The Mister and I have elevated our experiences to include some of these private hotels with extra conveniences. These conveniences save big on our time, which is priceless!
Add This To Your To-Do List!
Don’t wait!
Pick one of the discount travel sites or rewards programs from above and sign up today!
The planning for your Las Vegas vacay has to begin at some point.
Start with these secret insider tips today!
Share this article on Pinterest— it helps us all learn & grow!
This article appeared first on ShaundaNecole.com on Feb. 23, 2019.
Great tips! Especially the “You won’t need to rent a car” tip which you really don’t! Every place in Vegas is a tourtist destination. Hope to go back soon. Thanks again!
Thanks, Jaff! Always great to hear feedback from other Las Vegas travelers. Hope you get back to Vegas sooner than later!
These are some great tips that I appreciate. I must learn all I can about Vegas as I am planning to visit soon.
Oh, how fabulous! I’m so happy I could offer some help 😉 Please come back & share your experience from your Vegas vacay!
I’ve never been to Vegas because I always thought it was so expensive, Glad I came across your blog!!!
Melissa! Thanks so much for your comment 😉 This is EXACTLY why I wrote this post! I’m so glad that you learned that you can Vegas, and affordably, too!
Thanks for these awesome tips! Pinned!
Veronica, you’re very welcome! Glad you found these tips useful 😉 Good idea to pin to easily get back to when needed!
Thanks for sharing this
You’re very welcome, Terri! I hope you can put these tips to use in a vacay to Las Vegas 😉
These are such great tips! I avoided Vegas before now cause I figure I wouldn’t be able to budget and yet still have a great time. These tips really help me seriously consider planning a trip now.
So happy to know that your perspective on Las Vegas has changed! Thank You for your comment, and do hope you visit. Would love to hear about your stay 😉
These are fantastic tips! The way to turn a nice vacation into an outstanding one!
Thanks and Yaasss! So happy you found my tips useful- Viva Las Vegas!
Oh WOW ???? you’re so knowledgeable and thorough!! I pinned a section to my Travel Board! We have been to Las Vegas a few times and after reading your review, I’m starting to wonder if we took advantage of some of these perks or packed the right things?! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy that you loved this post! Vegas is my passion and I love sharing how others can enjoy their time there, too!
Thanks for all the useful tips. I haven;t ben in about 15 yearsa and plan on going back soon. I bookmarked this page for later.
Good idea and I hope you get back to Vegas soon!
This is great info! We are traveling to Vegas for a friends bday in October, and I plan to re-read this blog post before we go!
Oh, Awesome—and right on time 😉 Bookmark this page!
Great tips! Love Vegas! I want to go back someday!
I hope you get back to Vegas, Debbie, and use these tips on your next trip!
Vegas is fun, been there a few times, lots of nice buffets for sure :D.
Vegas buffets are out of this world!!
thanks for the tips
You’re welcome, Lisa!
Plan on using some of these tips on my next trip to Vegas!
Awesome- they’ll save you a lot!
cant wait to go back to vacations again
Deanna, I can’t wait to safely travel again, too!
These are wonderful tips. Can’t wait to travel again so I can use some of them
I can’t wait for you to use these tips in Vegas, too!
Thanks for these great tips.
You’re welcome, Francine! I hope you can use them in Vegas when it’s safe to travel again.
Very informative post! Thanks for sharing these great tips. I’ve always wanted to visit Las Vegas!
When it’s safe to travel again, maybe Vegas can be your first stop!!
When all of this covid19 is over I will be using all yor tis! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Cheryl! Send me a pic from Vegas!
Thanks for the great tips. I am planning a girl’s trip to Vegas once all this is over.
What fun!! These tips will save you lots!
This would be such a funtastic trip! My Husband and I will have to go here as a late honeymoon one day!
Yes, Vegas is the perfect place to celebrate any occasion!!
dREAAAM
Yaasss! Las Vegas makes you dream big!!
Love LV! I used to go when I lived in California. Great photos and tips.
Thanks, Helga! Vegas is also my favorite place to be.
Thank you for all the wonderful ideas
You’re welcome!
I have never ben to Vegas. And after what a bang up year 2020 was and when the Covid threat isn’t one anymore, I am going!!! Thanks for all of these cool secret tips!
I’m excited for you to get there!!
Hello,
I know you receive a ton of emails every day, so thought I should send you a quick follow-up for my email below in case it got overlooked.
I was wondering whether you’d be interested in referencing our article in your post?
We’ve also compiled a list of articles that we think would be a perfect fit for some of your posts.
Looking forward to hearing back!
Thanks
Hello,
I know you receive a ton of emails every day, so thought I should send you a quick follow-up for my email below in case it got overlooked.
I was wondering whether you’d be interested in referencing our article in your post?
We’ve also compiled a list of articles that we think would be a perfect fit for some of your posts.
Looking forward to hearing back!
Thanks